Introduction

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The Task

In order to complete the project, you will need to answer the following questions.

• What is a "healthy" diet as defined by the Dietary Guidelines for Healthy Americans?
• What are the five food groups in the Food Guide Pyramid and how many servings should you obtain from each group daily for a healthy diet?
• What types of foods are sold in and purchased by teens at on-the-go restaurants?
• What components of food make it a good or poor choice?
• What are the top fast-food restaurants in your metropolitan area?
• If eliminating fast-food from a diet is not an option, what are the better choices to make?

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The Process and Resources

 

The class will be divided into five (5) teams. Information obtained through the following exercises will be kept in an electronic folder for future project needs. You will use this record to record all information and activities throughout the project, brainstorming activities, research, and idea/project drafts. Each team will:

 

• Define the components of a healthy diet through the Dietary Guidelines For Healthy Americans.
• Research the Food Pyramid for food types/servings that will contribute to a healthy diet for teenagers.
• Explore the guidelines for a healthy diet, as assigned to your team. Include component name, types, effects on the body, recommended daily amounts for healthy lifestyle, and importance.
  • Fat (Saturated/Unsaturated):
  • Cholesterol:
  • Carbohydrates/Sugars:
  • Caffeine:
  • Exercise: 
• Explore your teams's assigned physical condition/disease. Note the causes, contributing factors, why they are dangerous and prevention methods, as related to dietary patterns.
  • Coronary Heart Disease/Heart Attack:
  • High Blood Pressure:
  • Stroke:
  • Diabetes Mellitis:
  • Obesity:
• Teams should select the suggested daily calorie intake for a teenage male and female. Determine age and weight of both to make a selection from the Mealformation Estimated Calorie Chart.
• Create a typical menu that might be a teen's diet for one day. Include a breakfast, lunch, and dinner eaten in fast-food restaurants. From the Cyberdiet Web Site select three (3) fast-food restaurants to use for your research. Once completed, complete the following form. Complete the search parameters as follows:
  • No restraints on calories, fat grams, etc.
  • Search for: Calories, Fat Grams, Cholesterol, Carbohydrates.
  • Use the attached table to create a comparison of the three restaurants by food/drink.

Click here to get Restaurant Review Chart.

• Using the information gathered above, determine which fast food restaurant you team would recommend to be your over-all choice in providing the most nutritious meals for teens.for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Use the attached form to write your recommendations.

Click here to write your Recommendations.

• Brainstorm with your team in designing a "Help Prevent Bad Food Choices" poster, to be displayed on campus during Prevent Unhealthy Choices Week. This poster should:
  • Define the components of a healthy diet.
  • Show the food pyramid as a complete visual aid for daily eating or as a visual aid for a specific meal.
  • Note your assigned component (fat, cholesterol, carbohydrates/sugars, caffeine, exercise).
  • Note your assigned condition/disease.
  • Tie the poster together by linking a healthy diet (including recommended servings of food types) with the possible condition/disease.
• Brainstorm with your team in designing a poster that illustrates your recommended food choices for a breakfast, lunch, or dinner for Prevent Unhealthy Choices Week.
  • Note the fast-food restaurant.
  • Tie in your definition of a healthy diet and the food pyramid in illustrating how this selection would be a healthier choice.
  • Creativity counts, remember you are speaking to teens.
• Brainstorm with your team in designing a poster that shows unhealthy choices that teens may make for Prevent Unhealthy Choices Week.
  • Defend your position with the information you have gathered.
• As a class, teams will come together to design a Fast Food Reference Guide that will be given to the school's administration team.
  • The information gathered during this webquest will be included in this reference guide in an organized fashion.
  • The guide will be a visually appealing book that depicts the life style recommended.
• As a class, you will work with administration and the on campus S.A.D.D. (Students Against Destructive Decisions) group to launch a campaign for on-the-go healthier eating.
  • Suggested activities may include:
    • Developing a skit for an assembly to coincide with other prevention focuses such as smoking, drinking, drugs, gangs, etc.
    • Plan an outdoor lunchtime Prevention Day with booths set up for different prevention focuses. The reference guide could be available to students at this time.
    • Plan an "announcement" campaign that would be read during daily announcements to the student body for Prevent Unhealthy Choices Week.
• Each student will write a 1-2 page paper evaluating their own food lifestyle. The paper should incorporate what they have learned during this webquest, how their own food choices compare with what they have determined to be healthy choices and how they could change their choices to be in line with their recommended choices.

Evaluation

Your project will be assessed using the following rubric.

ITEM	EXCELLENT(A)	GOOD(B)	FAIR(C)	INCOMPLETE
Basic Knowledge of Nutrition.	All quetions are answered completely and correctly in defining a healthy diet in relationship to the food pyramid and calorie needs.	All questions are answered completely and correctly.	Most questions are answered completely and correctly.	Information is inaccurate and incomplete. Little effort is shown in researching topics.
Basic knowledge of food components.	All questions are answered completely in defining assigned food component and its relationship to the effects on the body , the recommended daily amounts and importance in the diet.	All questions are answered completely and correctly.	Most questions are answered completely and correctly.	Information is inaccurate and incomplete. Little effort is shown in researching topics.
Basic knowledge of food related conditions/diseases.	All questions are answered completely in defining assigned condition/disease and its relationship to nutrition, causes, contributing factors, and prevention methods.	All questions are answered completely in defining the assigned condition/disease.	Most questions are answered completely in defining the assigned condition/disease.	Information is inaccurate and incomplete. Little effort is shown in researching topics.
Preparation of a typical teen menu of fast food and comparison chart of fast food restaurants.	Menu preparation is complete and the comparison of three fast food restaurants is valid and explicit.	Menu preparation and comparison is complete.	Menu preparation is somewhat complete and most of the approrpiate items are compared for the restaurants.	Information is inaccurate or incomplete. Little effort is shown in researching topics.
Preparation of three posters.	Posters illustrate the theme of the assignment. They are creative, will appeal to the teens and be a good representative of information acquired.	Posters illustrate the theme of the assignment.	Posters somewhat illustrate the theme of the assignment.	Posters are inadequately prepared. Theme is not completely shown through posters. Little effort is shown.
Group Participation/Journal.	List of visited websites listed in journal with a good explanation of the group process used in completing the project. Challenges encountered by the group, how they were identified and resolved.	Journal listed most websites and group process.	Little information was contained in the journal. Inadequate explanation of the group process.	Websites not mentioned or explained. No explanation of the group process.
Individual Participation/ Paper. Worth 10% of grade.	Participation in group as equal partner in work. Individual understanding of information is displayed in report that is clear and complete.	Participation in group is good. Individual report is completed.	Participation in the group is not displayed as an equal team member. Individual report is inadequate.	Participation is inadequate. Report is inadequate.

Notes to Teachers

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Conclusion

As a result of this webquest, you will have discovered the components of a healthy diet, what conditions/diseases can be the result of poor nutrition, and how fast food and on-the-eating impacts a healthy diet. You should be aware of the food pyramid and what types of food and quantities are needed for better nutrition. You should have a working knowledge of calorie needs for teens that coincide with healthy eating. You also learned how to analyze and modify eating habits regarding fast foods. Finally, you examined your own eating habits to determine if you eat a healthy diet and if not what modifications you can make. Prevention of poor food choices is a life time process. Continue to evaluate your eating habits and work towards healthier living.

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